Japan During Musashi

8/9/2019 Japan During Musashi

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Japan during Musashi's lifetime

Miyamoto Musashi was born in 1584, in a Japan struggling to recover from more

than four centuries of internal strife. he traditional rule of the emperors had been

overthrown in the twelfth century, and although each successive emperor remained

the !gurehead of Japan, his powers were very much reduced. "ince that time, Japan

had seen almost continuous civil war between the provincial lords, warrior mon#s

and brigands, all !ghting each other for land and power. $n the !fteenth and

si%teenth centuries the lords, called daimyo, built huge stone castles to protect

themselves and their lords and castle towns outside the walls began to grow up.

hese wars naturally restricted the growth of trade and impoverished the whole

country.

$n 15&, however, one man, (da )obunga, came to the fore in Japan. *e became

the "hogun, or military dictator, and for nine years succeeded in gaining control of

almost the whole of the country. +hen )obunga was assassinated in 158, a

commoner too# over the government. oyotomi *ideyoshi continued the wor# of

unifying Japan which )obunaga had begun, ruthlessly putting down any traces of

insurrection. *e revived the old gulf between the warriors of Japan - the samurai -

and the commoners by introducing restrictions on the wearing of swords.

*ideyoshi's sword-hunt, as it was #nown, meant that only samurai were allowed to

wear two swords, the short one which everyone could wear and the long one which

distinguished the samurai from the rest of the population.

/lthough *ideyoshi did much to settle Japan and increase trade with the outside

world, by the time of his death in 1508 internal disturbances still had not been

completely eliminated. he real isolation and uni!cation of Japan began with the

inauguration of the great o#ugawa rule. $n 12 o#ugawa $eyasu, a former

associate of both *ideyoshi and )obunaga, formally became "hogun of Japan, after

defeating *ideyoshi's son *ideyori at the battle of "e#i ga *ara.

$eyasu established his government at 3do, present-day o#yo, where he had a hugecastle. *is was a stable, peaceful government beginning a period of Japanese

history which was to last until the $mperial estoration of 188, for although $eyasu

himself died in 11 members of his family succeeded each other and the title

"hogun became virtually an hereditary one for the o#ugawas.


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he samurai wore two swords thrust through the belt with the cutting edge

uppermost. he longer sword was carried out of doors only, the shorter sword was

worn at all times. 9or training, wooden swords and bamboo swords were often used.

=uelling and other tests of arms were common, with both real and practice swords.hese too# place in fencing halls and before shrines, in the streets and within castle

walls. =uels were often fought to the death or until one of the contestants was

disabled, but a few generations after Musashi's time the shinai, a pliable bamboo

sword, and later padded fencing armour, came to be widely used, so the chances of

inCury were greatly reduced. he samurai studied with all #inds of weapons7

halberds, stic#s, swords, chain and sic#le, and others. Many schools using such

weapons survive in traditional form in Japan today.

o train in endo one must subCugate the self, bear the pain of gruelling practise,

and cultivate a level mind in the face of peril. >ut the +ay of the sword means not

only fencing training but also living by the code of honour of the samurai elite.

+arfare was the spirit of the samurai's everyday life, and he could face death as if it

were a domestic routine. he meaning of life and death by the sword was mirrored

in the everyday conduct of the feudal Japanese, and he wo realised the resolute

acceptance of death at any moment in his everyday life was a master of the sword.

$t is in order to attain sucn an understanding that later men have followed the

ancient tradition of the sword-fencing styles, and even today give up their lives for

endo practise.

)e%t section7 endo and @en

endo and @en

he +ay of the sword is the moral teaching of the samurai, fostered by the

Aonfucianist philosophy which shaped the o#ugawa system, together with the

native "hinto religion of Japan. he warrior courts of Japan from the ama#ura

period to the Muromachi period encouraged the austre @en study among the

samurai, and @en went hand in hand with the arts of war. $n @en the are noelaborations, it aims directly at the true nature of things. here are no ceremonies,

no teachings7 the priDe of @en is essentially personal. 3nlightenment in @en does

not mean a change in behavior, but realisation of the nature of ordinary life. he

end point is the beginning, and the great virtue is simplicity. he secret teaching of

the $tto yu school of endo, iriotoshi, is the !rst techniEue of some hundred or so.

he teaching is /i Fchi, meaning to cut the opponent Cust as he cuts you. his is


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the ultimate training... it is lac# of anger. $t means to treat your enemy as an

honoured guest. $t also means to abandon your life or throw away fear.

he !rst techniEue is the last, the beginner and the master behave in the same way.

nowledge is a full circle. he !rst of Musashi's chapter headings is Ground, for the

basis of endo and @en, and the last boo# is Hoid, for that understanding which can

only be e%pressed as nothingness. he teachings of endo are li#e the !erce verbal

forays to which the @en student is subCected. /ssailed with doubts and misery, his

mind and spirit in a whirl, the student is gradually guided to realisation and

understanding by his teacher. he endo student practises furiously, thousands of

cuts morning and night, learning !erce techniEues of horrible war, until eventually

sword becomes no sword, intention becomes no intention, a spontaneous

#nowledge of every situation. he !rst elementary teaching becomes the highest

#nowledge, and the master still continues to practise this simple training, his

everyday prayer.

)e%t section7 Aoncerning the life of Miyamoto Musashi

Aoncerning the life of Miyamoto Musashi

"hinmen Musashi )o ami 9uCiwara )o Genshin, or as he is commonly #nown

Miyamoto Musashi, was born in the village called Miyamoto in the province

Mimasa#a in 1584. Musashi is the name of an area south-west of o#yo, and theappellation )o ami means noble person of the area, while 9uCiwara is the name

of a noble family foremost in Japan over a thousand years ago.

Musashi's ancestors were a branch of the powerful *arima clan in yushu, the

souther island of Japan. *irada "ho#an, his grandfather, was a retainer of "hinmen

$ga )o ami "udeshige, the lord of a#eyama castle. *irada "ho#an was highly

thought of by his lord and eventually married his lord's daughter.

+hen Musashi was seven, his father, Munisai, either died or abandoned the child. /s

his mother had died, >en )o "u#e, as Musashi was #nown during his childhood, was

left in the care of an uncle on his mother's side, a priest. "o we !nd Musashi an

orphan during *ideyoshi's campaigns of uni!cation, son of a samurai in a violent

unhappy land. *e was a boisterous youth, strong-willed and physically large for his

age. +hether he was urged to persue endo by his uncle, or whether his aggressive


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nature led him to it, we do not #now, but it is recorded that he slew a man in single

combat when he was Cust thirteen. he opponent was /rima igei, a samurai of the

"hinto yu school of military arts, s#illed with sword and spear. he boy threw the

man to the ground, and beat him about the head with a stic# when he tried to rise.

ihei died vomiting blood

Musashi's ne%t contest was when he was si%teen, when he defeated adashima

/#iyama. /bout this time, he left home to embar# on the +arrior Bilgimage which

saw him victor in scores of contests and which too# him to war si% times, until he

!nally settled down at the age of !fty, having reached the end of his search for

reason. here must have been many ronin travelling the country on similar

e%peditions, some alone li#e Musashi and some enCoying sponsorship, though not on

the scale of the pilgrimage of the famous swordman su#ahara >o#uden who had

travelled with a retinue of over one hundred men in the previous century.

his part of Musashi's life was spent living apart from society while he devoted

himself with a ferocious single-mindedness to the search for enlightenment by the

+ay of the sword. Aoncerned only with perfecting his s#ill, he lived as men need not

live, wandering over Japan soa#ed by the cold winds of winter, not dressing his hair,

nor ta#ing a wife, nor following any profession save his study. $t is said he never

entered a bathtub lest he was caught unawares without a weapon, and that his

appearance was uncouth and wretched.

$n the battle which resulted in $eyasu succeeding *ideyoshi as "hogun of Japan, "e#i

ga *ara, Musashi Coined the ran#s of the /shi#aga army to !ght against $eyasu. *e

survived the terrible three days during which seventy thousand people died, and

also survived the hunting down and massacre of the vanEuished army.

*e went up to yoto, the capital, when he was twenty-one. his was the scene of his

vendetta agains the ;oshio#a family. he ;oshio#as had been fencing instructors to

the /shi#aga house for generations. Iater forbidden to teach endo by lord

o#ugawa, the family became dyers, and are dyers today. Munisai, Musashi's father,had been invited to yoto some years before by the "hogun /shi#aga ;oshia#a.

Munisai was a competent swordsman, and an e%pert with the Citte, a #ind of iron

truncheon with a tongue for catching sword blades. he story has it that Munisai

fought three of the ;oshio#as, winning two of the duels, and perhaps this has some

bearing on Musashi's behavior towards the family.


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;oshio#a "eiCiro, the head of the family, was the !rst to !ght Musashi, on the moor

outside the city. "eiCiro was armed with a real sword, and Musashi with a wooden

sword. Musashi laid "eiCiro out with a !erce attac# and beat him savagely as he lay

on the ground. he retainers carried their lord home on a rain-shutter, where for

shame he cut o6 his samurai top#not.

Musashi longered on in the capital, and his continued presence further ir#ed the

;oshio#as. he second brother, =enshichiro, applied to Musashi for a duel. /s a

military ploy, Musashi arrived late on the appointed day, and seconds after the start

of the !ght he bro#e his opponent's s#ull with one blow of his wooden sword.

=enshichiro was dead. he house issued yet another challenge with *anshichiro,

the young son of "eiCiro, as champion. *anshichiro was a mere boy, not yet in his

teens. he contest was to be held by a pine tree adCacent to rice!elds. Musashi

arrived at the meeting place well before the appointed time and waited in hiding for

his enemy to come. he child arrived dressed formally in war gear, with a party ofwell-armed retainers, determined to do away with Musashi. Musashi waited

concealed in the shadows, and Cust as they were thin#ing that he had thought better

of it and had decided to leave yoto, he suddenly appeared in the midst of them,

and cut the boy down. hen, drawing both swords, he cut a path through them and

made his escape.

/fter that frightful episode Musashi wandered over Japan, becoming a legend in his

own time. +e !nd mention of his name and stories of his prowess in registers,

diaries, on monuments, and in fol# memory from o#yo to yushu. *e had morethan si%ty contests before he was twenty-nine, and won them all. he earliest

account of his contests appears in )iten i, or wo *eavens Ahronicle, a record

compiled by his pupils a generation after his death.

$n the year of the ;oshio#a a6air, 125, he visited the temple *oDoin in the south of

the capital. *ere he had a contest with (#u *oDoin, the )ichiren sect pupil of the

@en priest *oin $nei. he priest was a spearman, but no match for Musashi who

defeated him twice with his short wooden sword. Musashi stayed at the temple for

some time studying !ghting techniEues and enCoying tal#s with the priests. here isstill today a traditional spear !ghting form practised by the mon#s of *oDoin. $t is

interesting that in ancient times the word (sho, which now means priest, used to

mean spear teacher. *oin $nei was pupil to $Dumi Musashi no ami, a master of

"hinto endo. he priest used spears with cross-shaped blades #ept outside the

temple under the eaves and used in !re !ghting.


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+hen Musashi was in $ga province he met a s#illed chain and sic#le !ghter named

"hishido >ai#in. /s "hishido twirled his chain Musashi drew a dagger and pierced his

breast, advancing to !nish him o6. he watching pupils attac#ed Musashi but he

frightened them away in four directions.

$n 3do, a !ghter named Muso Gonosu#e visited Musashi reEuesting a duel. Musashi

was cutting wood to ma#e a bow, and granting Gonosu#e's reEuest stood up

intending to use the slender wand he was cutting as a sword. Gonosu#e made a

!erce attac#, but Musashi stepped straight in and banged him on the head.

Gonosu#e went away.

Bassing through $Dumo province, Musashi visited lord Matsudaira and as#ed

permission to !ght with his strongest endo e%pert. here were many good

strategists in $Dumo. Bermission was granted against a man who used an eight foot

long he%agonal wooden pole. he contest was held in the lord's library garden.

Musashi used two wooden swords. *e chased the samurai up the two wooden steps

of the library veranda, thrust at his face on the second step, and hit him on both

arms as he ?inched away. o the surprise of the assembled retainers, lord

Matsudaira as#ed Musashi to !ght him. Musashi drove the lord up the library steps

as before, and when he tried to ma#e a resolute fencing attitude Musashi hit his

sword with the 9ire and "tones Aut, brea#ing it in two. he lord bowed in defeat,

and Musashi stayed for some time as his teacher.

Musashi's most well-#nown duel was in the seventeenth year of eicho, 11, when

he was in (gura in >unDen province. *is opponent was "asa#i oCiro, a young man

who had developed a strong fencing techniEue #nown as subame-gaeshi, or

swallow counter, inspired by the motion of a swallow's tail in ?ight. oCiro was

retained by the lord of the province, *oso#awa adao#i. Musashi applied to adao#i

for permission to !ght oCiro through the oces of one of the *oso#awa retainers

who had been a pupil of Musashi's father, one )agao#a "ato (#inaga. Bermission

was granted for the contest to be held at eight o'cloc# the ne%t morning, and the

place was to be an island some few miles from (gura. hat night Musashi left his

lodging and moved to the house of obayashi aro @aemon. his inspired the rumorthat awe of oCiro's subtle techniEue had made Musashi run away afraid for his life.

he ne%t day at eight o'cloc# Musashi could not be wo#en until a prompter came

from the ocials assembled on the island. *e got up, dran# the water they brought

to him to wash with, and went straight down to the shore. /s "ato rowed across to

the island Musashi fashioned a paper string to tie bac# the sleeves of his #imono,

and cut a wooden sword from the spare oar. +hen he had done this he lay down to

rest.


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he boat neared the place of combat and oCiro and the waiting ocials were

astounded to see the strange !gure of Musashi, with his un#empt hair tied up in a

towel, leap from the boat brandishing the long wooden oar and rush through the

waves up the beach towards his enemy. oCiro drew his long sword, a !ne blademade by )agamitsu of >iDen, and threw away his scabbard. ;ou have no more

need of that said Musashi as he rushed forward with his sword held to one side.

oCiro was provo#ed into ma#ing the !rst cut and Musashi dashed upward at his

blade, bringing the oar down on oCiro's head. /s oCiro fell, his sword, which had cut

the towel from Musashi's head, cut across the hem of his divided s#irt. Musashi

noted oCiro's condition and bowed to the astounded ocials before running bac# to

his boat. "ome sources have it that after he #illed oCiro Musashi threw down the

oar and, nimbly leaping bac# several paces, drew both his swords and ?ourished

them with a shout at his fallen enemy.

$t was about this time that Musashi stopped ever using real swords in duels. *e was

invincible, and from now on he devoted himself to the search for perfect

understanding by way of endo.

$n 114 and again in 115 he too# the opportunity of once more e%periencing

warfare and siege. $eyasu laid siege to (sa#a castle where the supporters of the

/shi#aga family were gathered in insurrection. Musashi Coined the o#ugawa forces

in both winter and summer campaigns, now !ghting against those he had fought for

as a youth at "e#i ga *ara.

/ccording to his own writing, he came to understand strategy when he was !fty or

!fty-one in 14. *e and his adopted son $ori, the waif whom he had met in =ewa

province on his travels, settled in (gura in this year. Musashi was never again to

leave yushu island. he *oso#awa house had been entrusted with the command of

the hot seat of *igo province, umamoto castle, and the new lord of >unDen was an

(gasawara. $ori found employment under (gasawara adaDane, and as a captain in

adaDane's army fought against the Ahristians in the "himawara uprising of 18,

when Musashi was about !fty-!ve. he lords of the southern provinces had always

been antagonistic to the o#ugawas and were the instigators of intrigue with foreign

powers and the Japanese Ahristians. Musashi was a member of the !eld sta6 at

"himawara where the Ahristians were massacred. /fter this, $eyasu closed the ports

of Japan to foreign intercourse, and they remained closed for over two hundred

years.


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/fter si% years in (gura, Musashi was invited to stay with Ahuri, the *oso#awa lord

of umamoto castle, as a guest. *e stayed a few years with lord Ahuri and spent his

time teaching and painting. $n 14, he retired to a life of seclusion in a cave called

eigendo. *ere he wrote Go in )o "ho, addressed to his pupil eruo )obuyu#i, afew wee#s before his death on the nineteenth of May, 145.

Musashi is #nown to the Japanese as insei, that is, "word "aint. Go in )o "ho

heads every endo bibliography, being uniEue among boo#s of martial art in that it

deals with both the strategy of warfare and the methods of single combat in e%actly

the same way. he boo# is not a thesis on strategy, it is in Musashi's words a guide

for men who want to learn strategy and, as a guide always leads, so the contents

are always beyond the student's understanding. he more one reads the boo# the

more one !nds in its pages. $t is Musashi's last will, the #ey to the path he trod.

+hen, at twenty-eight or twenty-nine, he had become such a strong !ghter, he did

not settle down and build a school, replete with success, but became doubly

engrossed with his study. $n his last days even, he scorned the life of comfort with

lord *oso#awa and lived two years alone in a mountain cave deep in contemplation.

he behavior of this cruel, headstrong man was evidently most humble and honest.

Musashi wrote +hen you have attained the +ay of strategy there will be not one

thing that you cannot understand and ;ou will see the +ay in everything. *e did,

in fact, become a master of arts and crafts. *e produced masterpieces of in#

painting, probably more highly valued by the Japanese than the in# paintings of any

other. *is wor#s include cormorants, herons, *otei the "hinto God, dragons, birds

with ?owers, bird in a dead tree, =aruma :>odhidharma


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*e wrote "tudy the +ays of all professions. $t is evident that he did Cust that. *e

sought out not only great swordsmen but also priests, strategists, artists and

craftsmen, eager to broaden his #nowledge.

Musashi writes about the various aspects of endo in such a way that it is possible

for the beginner to study at beginner's level, and for endo masters to study the

same words on a higher level. his applies not Cust to military strategy, but to any

situation where plans and tactics are used. Japanese businessmen have used Go in

)o "ho as a guide for business practice, ma#ing sales campaigns li#e military

operations, using the same energetic methods. $n the same way that Musashi

seems to have been a horribly cruel man, yet was following logically an honest

ideal, so successful business sems to most people to be without conscience.

Musashi's life study is thus as relevant in the twentieth century as it was on the

medieval battleground, and applies not Cust to the Japanese race but to all nations. $

suppose you could sum up his inspiration as humility and hard wor#.

$ntroduction

$ have been many years training in the +ay of strategy, called )i en $chi yu, and

now $ thin# $ will e%plain it in writing for the !rst time. $t is now during the !rst tendays of the tenth month in the twentieth year of anei :145uddha. $ am a warrior of *arima province, "hinmen Musashi )o ami

9uCiwara )o Geshin, age si%ty years.

9rom youth my heart has been inclined toward the +ay of strategy. My !rst duel

was when $ was thirteen, $ struc# down a strategist of the "hinto school, one /rima

ihei. +hen $ was si%teen $ struc# down an able strategist, adashima /#iyama.

+hen $ was twenty-one $ went up to the capital and met all manner of strategists,

never once failing to win in many contests.

/fter that $ went from province to province duelling with strategists of various

schools, and not once failed to win even though $ had as many as si%ty encounters.

his was between the ages of thirteen and twenty-eight or twenty-nine.


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+hen $ reached thirty $ loo#ed bac# on my past. he previous victories were not due

to my having mastered strategy. Berhaps it was natural ability, or the order of

heaven, or that other schools' strategy was inferior. /fter that $ studied morning and

evening searching for the principle, and came to realise the +ay of strategy when $was !fty.

"ince then $ have lived without following any particular +ay. hus with the virtue of

strategy $ practise many arts and abilities - all things with no teacher. o write this

boo# $ did not use the law of >uddha or the teachings of Aonfucius, neither old war

chronicles nor boo#s on martial tactics. $ ta#e up my brush to e%plain the true spirit

of this $chi school as it is mirrored in the +ay of heaven and wannon. he time is

the night of the tenth day of the tenth month, at the hour of the tiger :-5 a.m.oo#

he Ground >oo#

"tategy is the craft of the warrior. Aommanders must enact the craft, and troopers

should #now this +ay. here is no warrior in the world today who really understands

the +ay of strategy.

here are various +ays. here is the +ay of salvation by the law of >uddha, the

+ay of Aonfucius governing the +ay of learning, the +ay of healing as a doctor, as

a poet teaching the +ay of +a#a, tea, archery, and many arts and s#ills. 3ach man

practices as he feels inclined.

$t is said the warrior's is the twofold +ay of pen and sword, and he should have a

taste for both +ays. 3ven if a man has no natural ability he can be a warrior by

stic#ing assiduously to both divisions of the +ay. Generally spea#ing, the +ay of thewarrior is resolute acceptance of death. /lthough not only warriors but priests,

women, peasants and lowlier fol# have been #nown to die readily in the cause of

duty or out of shame, this is a di6erent thing. he warrior is di6erent in that

studying the +ay of strategy is based on overcoming men. >y victory gained in

crossing swords with individuals, or enCoining battle with large numbers, we can

attain power and fame for ourselves or for our lord. his is the virtue of strategy.


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he +ay of "trategy

$n Ahina and Japan practitioners of the +ay have been #nown as masters of

strategy. +arriors must learn this +ay.

ecently there have been people getting on in the world as strategists, but they are

usually Cust sword-fencers. he attendants of the ashima antori shrines of the

province *itachi received instruction from the gods, and made schools based on this

teaching, travelling from country to country instructing men. his is the recent

meaning of strategy.

$n olden times strategy was listed among the en /bilities and "even /rts as abene!cial practice. $t was certainly an art but as bene!cial practice it was not

limited to sword-fencing. he true value of sword-fencing cannot be seen withing

the con!nes of sword-fencing techniEue.

$f we loo# at the world we see arts for sale. Men use eEuipment to sell their own

selves. /s if with the nut and the ?ower, the nut has become less than the ?ower. $n

this #ind of +ay of strategy, both those teaching and those learning the way are

concerned with colouring and showing o6 their techniEue, trying to hasten the

bloom of the ?ower. hey spea# of his =oCo and hat =oCo. hey are loo#ing forpro!t. "omeone once said $mmature strategy is the cause of grief. hat was a true

saying.

here are four +ays in which men pass through life7 as gentlemen, farmers, artisans

and merchants.

he way of the farmer. Fsing agricultural instruments, he sees springs through to

autumns with an eye on the changes of season.

"econd is the +ay of the merchant. he wine ma#er obtains his ingredients and

puts them to use to ma#e his living. he +ay of the merchant is always to live by

ta#ing pro!t. his is the +ay of the merchant.


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hirdly the gentleman warrior, carrying the weaponry of his +ay. he +ay of the

warrior is to master the virtue of his weapons. $f a gentleman disli#es strategy he

will not appreciate the bene!t of weaponry, so must he not have a little taste for

this

9ourthly the +ay of the artisan. he +ay of the carpenter is to become pro!cient in

the use of his tools, !rst to lay his plans with a true measure and then perform his

wor# according to plan. hus he passes through life. hese are the four +ays of the

gentleman, the farmer, the artisan and the merchant.

Aomparing the +ay of the carpenter to strategy

he comparison with carpentry is through the connection with houses. *ouses of

the nobility, houses of warriors, the 9our houses, ruin of houses, thriving of houses,the style of the house, the tradition of the house, and the name of the house. he

carpenter uses a master plan of the building, and the +ay of strategy is similar in

that there is a plan of campaign. $f you want to learn the craft of war, ponder over

this boo#. he teacher is as a needle, the disciple is as thread. ;ou must practice

constantly.

Ii#e the foreman carpenter, the commander must #now natural rules, and the rules

of the country, and the rules of houses. his is the +ay of the foreman.

he foreman carpenter must #now the architectural theory of towers and temples,

and the plans of palaces, and must employ men to raise up houses. he +ay of the

foreman carpenter is the same as the +ay of the commander of a warrior house.

$n the contruction of houses, choice of woods is made. "traight un-#notted timber of

good appearance is used for the revealed pillars, straight timber with small defects

is used for the innter pillars. imber of the !nest appearance, even if a little wea#, is

used for the thresholds, lintels, doors, and sliding doors, and so on. Good strong

timber, though it be gnarled and #notted, can always be used discreetly in

construction. imber which is wea# or #notted throughout should be used as

sca6olding, and later for !rewood.


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he foreman carpenter allots his men wor# according to their ability. 9loor layers,

ma#ers of sliding doors, thresholds and lintels, ceilings and so on. hose of poor

ability lay the ?oor Coist, and those of lesser ability carve wedges and do such

miscellaneous wor#. $f the foreman #nows and deploys his men well the !nished

wor# will be good.

he foreman should ta#e into account the abilities and limitations of his men,

circulating among them and as#ing nothing unreasonable. *e should #now their

morale and spirit, and encourage them when necessary. his is the same as the

principle of strategy.

he +ay of "trategy

Ii#e a trooper, the carpenter sharpens his own tools. *e carries his eEuipment in histool bo%, and wor#s under the direction of his foreman. *e ma#es culumns and

girders with an a%e, shapes ?oorboards and shelves with a plane, cuts !ne

openwor# and carvings accurately, giving as e%cellent a !nish as his s#ill will allow.

his is the craft of carpenters. +hen the carpenter becomes s#illed and understands

measures he can become a foreman

he carpenter's attainment is, having tools which will cut well, to ma#e small

shrines, writing shelves, tables, paper lanterns, chopping boards and pot-lids. hese

are the specialities of the carpenter. hings are similar for the trooper. ;ou ought tothin# deeply about this.

he attainment of the carpenter is that his wor# is not warped, that the Coints are

not misaligned, and that the wor# is truly planed so that it meets well and is not

merely !nished in sections. his is essential.

$f you want to learn this +ay, deeply consider the things written in this boo# one at

a time. ;ou must do sucient research.

(utline of the 9ive >oo#s of this >oo# of "trategy

he +ay is shown in !ve boo#s concerning di6erent aspects. hese are Ground,

+ater, 9ire, radition :+ind


16/60

he body of the +ay of strategy from the viewpoint of my $chi school is e%plained in

the Ground boo#. $t is dicult to realise the true +ay Cust through sword-fencing.

now the smallest things and the biggest things, the shallowest things and the

deepest things. /s if it were a straight road mapped out on the ground, the !rstboo# is called the Ground boo#.

"econd is the +ater boo#. +ith water as the basis, the spirit becomes li#e water.

+ater adopts the shape of its receptacle, it is sometimes a tric#le and sometimes a

wild sea. +ater has a clear blue colour. >y the clarity, things of $chi school are

shown in this boo#.

$f you master the principles of sword-fencing, when you freely beat one man, youbeat any man in the world. he spirit of defeating a man is the same for ten million

men. he strategist ma#es small things into big things, li#e building a great >uddha

from one foot model. $ cannot write in detail how this is done. he principle of

strategy is having one thing, to #now ten thousand things. hings of $chi school are

written in this the +ater boo#.

hird is the 9ire boo#. his boo# is about !ghting. he spirit of !re is !erce, whether

the !re be small or bigK and so it is with battles. he +ay of battles is the same for

man to man !ghts and for ten thousand a side battles. ;ou must appreciate thatspirit can become big or small. +hat is big is easy to perceive7 what is small is

dicult to perceive. $n short, it is dicult for large numbers of men to change

position, so their movements can be easily predicted. /n individual can easily

change his mind, so his movements are dicult to predict. ;ou must appreciate this.

he essence of this boo# is that you must train day and night in order to ma#e Euic#

decisions. $n strategy it is necessary to treat training as a part of normal life with

your spirit unchanging. hus combat in battle is described in the 9ire boo#.

9ourthly the +ind boo#. his boo# is not concerned with my $chi school but withother schools of strategy. >y +ind $ mean old traditions, present-day traditions, and

family traditions of strategy. hus $ clearly e%plain the strategies of the world. his is

tradition. $t is dicult to #now yourself if you do not #now others. o all +ays there

are side-trac#s. $f you study a +ay daily, and your spirit diverges, you may thin# you

are obeying a good way, but obCectively it is not the true +ay. $f you are following

the true +ay and diverge a little, this will later become a large divergence. ;ou must

realise this. (ther strategies have come to be thought of as mere sword-fencing,


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and it is not unreasonable that this should be so. he bene!t of my strategy,

although it includes sword-fencing, lies in a separate principle. $ have e%plained

what is commonly meant by strategy in other schools in the radition :+ind< boo#.

9ifthly, the boo# of the Hoid. >y Hoid $ mean that which has no beginning and no

end. /ttaining this principle means not attaining the principle. he +ay of strategy

is the +ay of nature. +hen you appreciate the power of nature, #nowing the rhythm

of any situation, you will be able to hit the enemy naturally and stri#e naturally. /ll

this is the +ay of the Hoid. $ intend to show how to follow the true +ay according to

nature in the boo# of the Hoid.

he )ame $chi yu )i o :(ne school - wo swordsut we do not call masters of the +ay of the long

sword longswordsmen, nor do we spea# of companionswordsmen. >ecause

bows, guns, spears and halberds are all warriors' eEuipment they are certainly part

of strategy. o master the virtue of the long sword is to govern the world and

oneself, thus the long sword is the basis of strategy. he principle is strategy by

means of the long sword. $f he attains the virtue of the long sword, one man can

beat ten men. Just as one man can beat ten, so a hundred men can beat a

thousand, and a thousand men can beat ten thousand. $n my strategy, one man is

the same as ten thousand, so this strategy is the complete warrior's craft.


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he +ay of the warrior does not include other +ays, such as Aonfucianism,

>uddhism, certain traditions, artistic accomplishments and dancing. >ut even

though these are not part of the +ay, if you #now the +ay broadly you will see it in

everything. Men must polish their particular +ay.

he >ene!t of +eapons in "trategy

here is a time and a place for use of weapons.

he best use of the companion sword is in a con!ned space, or when you are

engaged closely with an opponent. he long sword can be used e6ectively in all

situations.

he halberd is inferior to the spear on the battle!eld. +ith the spear you can ta#e

the initiativeK the halberd is defensive. $n the hands of one of two men of eEual

ability, the spear gives a little e%tra strength. "pear and halberd both have their

uses, but neither is very bene!cial in con!ned spaces. hey cannot be used for

ta#ing a prisoner. hey are essentially weapons for the !eld.

/nyway, if you learn indoor techniEues, you will thin# narrowly and forget the true

+ay. hus you will have diculty in actual encounters.

he bow is tactically strong at the commencement of battle, especially battles on a

moor, as it is possible to shoot Euic#ly from among the spearmen. *owever, it is

unsatisfactory in sieges, or when the enemy is more than forty yards away. 9or this

reason there are nowadays few traditional schools of archery. here is little use

nowadays for this #ind of s#ill.

9rom inside forti!cations, the gun has no eEual among weapons. $t is the supremeweapon on the !eld before the ran#s clash, but once swords are crossed the gun

becomes useless.

(ne of the virtues of the bow is that you can see the arrows in ?ight and correct

your aim accordingly, whereas gunshot cannot be seen. ;ou must appreciate the

importance of this.


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Just as a horse must have endurance and no defects, so it is with weapons. *orses

should wal# strongly, and swords and companion swords should cut strongly. "pears

and halberds must stand up to heavy use7 bows and guns must be sturdy. +eapons

should be hardy rather than decorative.

;ou should not have a favourite weapon. o become over-familiar with one weapon

is as much a fault as not #nowing it suciently well. ;ou should not copy others, but

use weapons which you can handle properly. $t is bad for commanders and troops to

have li#es and disli#es. hese are things you must learn thoroughly.

iming in strategy

here is timing in everything. iming in strategy cannot be mastered without a great

deal of practice.

iming is important in dancing and pipe or string music, for they are in rhythm only

if timing is good. iming and rhythm are also involved in the military arts, shooting

bows and guns, and riding horses. $n all s#ills and abilities there is timing.

here is also timing in the Hoid.

here is timing in the whole life of the warrior, in his thriving and declining, in his

harmony and discord. "imilarly, there is timing in the +ay of the merchant, in the

rise and fall of capital. /ll things entail rising and falling timing. ;ou must be able to

discern this. $n strategy there are various timing considerations. 9rom the outset

you must #now the applicable timing and the inapplicable timing, and from among

the large and small things and the fast and slow timings !nd the relevant timing,

!rst seeing the distance timing and the bac#ground timing. his is the main thing in

strategy. $t is especially important to #now the bac#ground timing, otherwise yourstrategy will become uncertain.

;ou win in battles with the timing in the Hoid born of the timing of cunning by

#nowing the enemies' timing, and this using a timing which the enemy does not

e%pect.


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/ll the !ve boo#s are chie?y concerned with timing. ;ou must train suciently to

appreciate all this.

$f you practise day and night in the above $chi school strategy, your spirit will

naturally broaden. hus is large scale strategy and the strategy of hand to hand

combat propagated in the world. his is recorded for the !rst time in the !ve boo#s

of Ground, +ater, 9ire, radition :+indecome aEuainted with every art.

now the +ays of all professions.

=istinguish between gain and loss in worldly matters.

=evelop intuitive Cudgement and understanding for everything.

Berceive those things which cannot be seen.

Bay attention even to tri?es.

=o nothing which is of no use.

$t is important to start by setting these broad principles in your heart, and train in

the +ay of strategy. $f you do not loo# at things on a large scale it will be dicult for

you to master strategy. $f you learn and attain this strategy you will never lose even

to twenty or thirty enemies. More than anything to start with you must set your

heart on strategy and earnestly stic# to the +ay. ;ou will come to be able to actually

beat men in !ghts, and to be able to win with your eye. /lso by training you will be

able to freely control your own body, conEuer men with your body, and with

sucient training you will be able to beat ten men with your spirit. +hen you have

reached this point, will it not mean that you are invincible

Moreover, in large scale strategy the superior man will manage many subordinates

de%trously, bear himself correctly, govern the country and foster the people, thus

preserving the ruler's discipline. $f there is a +ay involving the spirit of not being

defeated, to help oneself and gain honour, it is the +ay of strategy.


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he second year of "hoho :145earing in "trategy

$n strategy your spiritual bearing must not be any di6erent from normal. >oth in

!ghting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm. Meet the

situation without tenseness yet not rec#lessly, your spirit settled yet unbiased. 3ven

when your spirit is calm do not let your body rela%, and when your body is rela%ed

do not let your spirit slac#en. =o not let your spirit be in?uenced by your body, or


23/60

your body in?uenced by your spirit. >e neither insuciently spirited nor over

spirited. /n elevated spirit is wea# and a low spirit is wea#. =o not let the enemy

see your spirit.

"mall people must be completely familiar with the spirit of large people, and large

people must be familiar with the spirit of small people. +hatever your siDe, do not

be misled by the reactions of your own body. +ith your spirit open and

unconstricted, loo# at things from a high point of view. ;ou must cultivate your

wisdom and spirit. Bolish your wisdom7 learn public Custice, distinguish between

good and evil, study the +ays of di6erent arts one by one. +hen you cannot be

deceived by men you will have realised the wisdom of strategy.

he wisdom of strategy is di6erent from other things. (n othe battle!eld, even

when you are hard-pressed, you should ceaselessly research the principles of

strategy so that you can develop a steady spirit.

"tance in "trategy

/dopt a stance with the head erect, neither hanging down, nor loo#ing up, nor

twisted. ;our forehead and the space between your eyes should not be wrin#led. =o

not roll your eyes nor allow them to blin#, but slightly narrow them. +ith yourfeatures composed, #eep the line of your nose straight with a feeling of slightly

?aring your nostrils. *old the line of the rear of the nec# straight7 instil vigour into

your hairline, and in the same way from the shoulders down through your entire

body. Iower both shoulders and, without the buttoc#s Cutting out, put strength into

your legs from the #nees to the tops of your toes. >race your abdomen so that you

do not bend at the hips. +edge your companion sword in your belt against your

abdomen, so that your belt is not slac# - this is called wedging in.

$n all forms of strategy, it is necessary to maintain the combat stance in everyday

life and to ma#e your everyday stance your combat stance. ;ou must research this

well.

he GaDe in "trategy


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he gaDe should be large and broad. his is the twofold gaDe Berception and "ight.

Berception is strong and sight wea#.

$n strategy it is important to see distant things as if they were close and to ta#e a

distanced view of close things. $t is important in strategy to #now the enemy's

sword and not to be distracted by insigni!cant movements of his sword. ;ou must

study this. he gaDe is the same for single combat and for large-scale combat.

$t is necessary in strategy to be able to loo# to both sides without moving the

eyeballs. ;ou cannot master this ability Euic#ly. Iearn what is written here7 use this

gaDe in everyday life and do not vary it whatever happens.

*olding the Iong "word

Grip the long sword with a rather ?oating feeling in your thumb and fore!nger, with

the middle !nger neither tight nor slac#, and with the last two !ngers tight. $t is bad

to have play in your hands.

+hen you ta#e up a sword, you must feel intent on cutting the enemy. /s you cut an

enemy you must not change your grip, and your hands must not cower. +hen you

dash the enemy's sword aside, or ward it o6, or force it down, you must slightly

change the feeling in your thumb and fore!nger. /bove all, you must be intent on

cutting the enemy in the way you grip the sword.

he grip for combat and for sword-testing is the same. here is no such thing as a

man-cutting grip.

Generally, $ disli#e !%edness in both long swords and hands. 9i%edness means a

dead hand. Bliability is a living hand. ;ou must bear this in mind.

9ootwor#

+ith the tips of your toes somewhat ?oating, tread !rmly with your heels. +hether

you move fast or slow, with large or small steps, your feet must always move as in


25/60

normal wal#ing. $ disli#e the three wal#ing methods #nown as Cumping-foot,

?oating-foot and !%ed-steps.

"o-called ;in-;ang foot is important to the +ay. ;in-;ang foot means not moving

only one foot. $t means moving your feet left-right and right-left when cutting,

withdrawing, or warding o6 a cut. ;ou should not move one foot preferentially.

he 9ive /ttitudes

he !ve attitudes are7 Fpper, Middle, Iower, ight "ide, and Ieft "ide. hese are the

!ve. /lthough attitude has these !ve dimensions, the one purpose of all of them is

to cut the enemy. here are none but these !ve attitudes.

+hatever attitude you are in, do not be conscious of ma#ing the attitudeK thin# only

of cutting.

;our attitude should be large or small according to the situation. Fpper, Iower and

Middle attitudes are decisive. Ieft "ide and ight "ide attitudes are ?uid. Ieft and

ight attitudes should be used if there is an obstruction overhead or to one side.

he decision to use Ieft or ight depends on the place.

he essence of the +ay is this. o understand attitude you must thoroughly

understand the Middle attitude. he Middle attitude is the heart of the attitudes. $f

we loo# at strategy on a broad scale, the Middle attitude is the seat of the

commander, with the other four attitudes following the commander. ;ou must

appreciate this.

he +ay of the Iong "word

nowing the +ay of the long sword means we can wield with two !ngers the sword

that we usually carry. $f we #now the path of the sword well, we can wield it easily.

$f you try to wield the long sword Euic#ly you will mista#e the +ay. o wield the long

sword well you must wield it calmly. $f you try to wield it Euic#ly, li#e a folding fan or


26/60

a short sword, you will err by using short sword chopping. ;ou cannot cut a man

with a long sword using this method.

+hen you have cut downwards with the long sword, lift it straight upwards, when

you cut sideways, return the sword along a sideways path. eturn the sword in a

reasonable way, always stretching the elbows broadly. +ield the sword strongly.

his is the +ay of the long sword.

$f you learn to use the !ve approaches of my strategy, you will be able to wield a

sword well. ;ou must train constantly.

he 9ive /pproaches

he !rst approach is the Middle attitude. Aonfront the enemy with the point of your

sword against his face. +hen he attac#s, dash his sword to the right and ride it.

(r, when the enemy attac#s, de?ect the point of his sword by hitting downwards,

#eep your long sword where it is, and as the enemy renews the attac# cut his arms

from below. his is the !rst method.

he !ve approaches are this #ind of thing. ;ou must train repeatedly using a long

sword in order to learn them. +hen you master my +ay of the long sword, you will

be able to control any attac# the enemy ma#es. $ assure you, there are no attitudes

other than the !ve attitudes of the long sword of )io.

$n the second approach with the long sword, from the Fpper attitude cut the enemy

Cust as he attac#s. $f the enemy evades the cut, #eep your sword where it is and,

scooping from below, cut him as he renews the attac#. $t is possible to repeat the

cut from here.

$n this method there are various changes in timing and spirit. ;ou will be able to

understand this by training in the $chi school. ;ou will always win with the !ve long

sword methods. ;ou must train repeatedly.

$n the third approach, adopt the Iower attitude, anticipating scooping up. +hen the

enemy attac#es, hit his hands from below. /s you do so, he may try to hit your


27/60

sword down. $f this is the case, cut his upper arm:s< horiDontally with a feeling of

crossing. his means that from the Iower attitudes you hit the enemy at the

instant that he attac#s.

;ou will encounter this method often, both as a beginner and in later strategy. ;ou

must train holding a long sword.

$n this fourth approach, adopt the Ieft "ide attitude. /s the enemy attac#s, hit his

hands from below. $f as you hit his hands he attempts to dash down your sword,

with the feeling of hitting his hands, parry the path of his long sword and cut across

from above your shoulder.

his is the +ay of the long sword. hrough this method you win by parrying the line

of the enemy's attac#. ;ou must study this.

$n the !fth approach, the sword is in the ight "ide attitude. $n accordance with the

enemy's attac#, cross your sword from below at the side to the Fpper attitude. hen

cut straight from above.

his method is essential for #nowing the +ay of the long sword well. $f you can usethis method, you can freely wield a heavy long sword.

$ cannot describe in detail how to use these !ve approaches. ;ou must become well

acEuainted with my in harmony with the long sword +ay, learn large-scale timing,

understand the enemy's long sword, and become used to the !ve approaches from

the outset. ;ou will always win by using these !ve methods, with various timing

considerations discerning the enemy's spirit. ;ou must consider all this carefully.

he /ttitude )o-/ttitude eaching

/ttitude )o-/ttitude means that there is no need for what are #nown as long

sword attitudes.

3ven so, attitudes e%ist as the !ve ways of holding the long sword. *owever you

hold the sword it must be in such a way that it is easy to cut the enemy well, in


28/60

accordance with the situation, the place, and your relation to the enemy. 9rom the

Fpper attitude as your spirit lessens you can adopt the Middle attitude, and from

the Middle attitude you can raise the sword a little in your techniEue and adopt the

Fpper attitude. 9rom the Iower attitude you can raise the sword a little and adopt

the Middle attitudes as the occasion demands. /ccording to the situation, if you turn

your sword from either the Ieft "ide or ight "ide attitude towards the centre, theMiddle or the Iower attitude results.

he principle of this is called 3%isting /ttitude - )one%isting /ttitude.

he primary thing when you ta#e a sword in your hands is your intention to cut the

enemy, whatever the means. +henever you parry, hit, spring, stri#e or touch the

enemy's cutting sword, you must cut the enemy in the same movement. $t is

essential to attain this. $f you thin# only of hitting, springing, stri#ing or touching the

enemy, you will not be able actually to cut him. More than anything, you must be

thin#ing of carrying your movement through to cutting him. ;ou must thoroughly

research this.

/ttitude in strategy on a larger scale is called >attle /rray. "uch attitudes are all

for winning battles. 9i%ed formation is bad. "tudy this well.

o *it the 3nemy $n (ne iming

$n (ne iming means, when you have closed with the enemy, to hit him as Euic#ly

and directly as possible, without moving your body or settling your spirit, while you

see that he is still undecided. he timing of hitting before the enemy decides to

withdraw, brea# or hit, is this $n (ne iming.

;ou must train to achieve this timing, to be able to hit in the timing of an instant.

he /bdomen iming of wo

+hen you attac# and the enemy Euic#ly retreats, as you see him tense you must

feint a cut. hen, as he rela%es, follow up and hit him. his is the /bdomen iming

of wo.


29/60

$t is very dicult to attain this merely by reading this boo#, but you will soon

understand with a little instruction.

)o =esign, )o Aonception

$n this method, when the enemy attac#s and you decide to attac#, hit with your

body, and hit with your spirit, and hit from the Hoid with your hands, accelerating

strongly. his is the )o =esign, )o Aonception cut.

his is the most important method of hitting. $t is often used. ;ou must train hard to

understand it.

he 9lowing +ater Aut

he 9lowing +ater Aut is used when you are struggling blade to blade with the

enemy. +hen he brea#s and Euic#ly withdraws trying to spring with his long sword,

e%pand your body and spirit and cut him as slowly as possible with your long sword,

following your body li#e stagnant water. ;ou can cut with certainty if you learn this.

;ou must discern the enemy's grade.

he 9ire and "tones Aut

he 9ires and "tones Aut means that when the enemy's long sword and your long

sword clash together you cut as strongly as possible without raising the sword even

a little. his means cutting Euic#ly with the hands, body and legs - all three cutting

strongly. $f you train well enough you will be able to stri#e strongly.

he ed Ieaves Aut

he ed Ieaves Aut means #noc#ing down the enemy's long sword. he spirit

should be getting control of his sword. +hen the enemy is in a long sword attitude

in front of you and intent on cutting, hitting and parrying, you strongly hit the

enemy's sword with the 9ire and "tones Aut, perhaps in the design of the )o

=esign, )o Aonception Aut. $f you then beat down the point of his sword with a

stic#y feeling, he will necessarily drop the sword. $f you practise this cut it becomes

easy to ma#e the enemy drop his sword. ;ou must train repetitively.


30/60

he >ody in Blace of the Iong "word

/lso the long sword in place of the body. Fsually we move the body and the sword

at the same time to cut the enemy. *owever, according to the enemy's cutting

method, you can dash against him with your body !rst, and afterwards cut with the

sword. $f his body is immoveable, you can cut !rst with the long sword, butgenerally you hit !rst with the body and then cut with the long sword. ;ou must

research this well and practise hitting.

Aut and "lash

o cut and slash are two di6erent things. Autting, whatever form of cutting it is, is

decisive, with a resolute spirit. "lashing is nothing more than touching the enemy.

3ven if you slash strongly, and even if the enemy dies instantly, it is slashing. +hen

you cut, your spirit is resolved. ;ou must appreciate this. $f you !rst slash the

enemy's hands or legs, you must then cut strongly. "lashing is in spirit the same as

touching. +hen you realise this, they become indistinguishable. Iearn this well.

Ahinese Mon#ey's >ody

he Ahinese Mon#ey's >ody is the spirit of not stretching out your arms. he spirit is

to get in Euic#ly, without in the least e%tending your arms, before the enemy cuts. $f

you are intent upon not stretching out your arms you are e6ectively far away, the

spirit is to go in with your whole body. +hen you come to within arm's reach it

becomes easy to move your body in. ;ou must research this well.

Glue and IacEuer 3mulsion >ody

he spirit of Glue and IacEuer 3mulsion >ody is to stic# to the enemy and not

separate from him. +hen you approach the enemy, stic# !rmly with your head,

body and legs. Beople tend to advance their head and legs Euic#ly, but their body

lags behind. ;ou should stic# !rmly so that there is not the slightest gap between

the enemy's body and your body. ;ou must consider this carefully.

o "trive for *eight

>y to strive for height is meant, when you close with the enemy, to strive with him

for superior height without cringing. "tretch your legs, stretch your hips, and stretch

your nec# face to face with him. +hen you thin# you have won, and you are the

higher, thrust in strongly. ;ou must learn this.


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o /pply "tic#iness

+hen the enemy attac#s and you also attac# with the long sword, you should go in

with a stic#y feeling and !% your long sword against the enemy's as you receive his

cut. he spirit of stic#iness is not hitting very strongly, but hitting so that the long

swords do not separate easily. $t is best to approach as calmly as possible when

hitting the enemy's long sword with stic#iness. he di6erence between "tic#iness

and 3ntanglement is that stic#iness is !rm and entanglement is wea#. ;ou must

appreciate this.

he >ody "tri#e

he >ody "tri#e means to approach the enemy through a gap in his guard. he spirit

is to stri#e him with your body. urn your face a little aside and stri#e the enemy'sbreast with your left shoulder thrust out. /pproach with a spirit of bouncing the

enemy away, stri#ing as strongly as possible in time with your breathing. $f you

achieve this method of closing with the enemy, you will be able to #noc# him ten or

twenty feet away. $t is possible to stri#e the enemy until he is dead. rain well.

hree +ays to Barry *is /ttac#

here are three methods to parry a cut7

9irst, by dashing the enemy's long sword to your right, as if thrusting at his eyes,

when he ma#es an attac#.

(r, to parry by thrusting the enemy's long sword towards his right eye with the

feeling of snipping his nec#.

(r, when you have a short long sword, without worrying about parrying the

enemy's long sword, to close with him Euic#ly, thrusting at his face with your left

hand.


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hese are the three ways of parrying. ;ou must bear in mind that you can always

clench your left hand and thrust at the enemy's face with your !st. 9or this it is

necessary to train well.

o "tab at the 9ace

o stab at the face means, when you are in controntation with the enemy, that your

spirit is intent on stabbing at his face, following the line of the blades with the point

of your long sword. $f you are intent on stabbling at his face, his face and body will

become ridable. +hen the enemy becomes rideable, there are various opportunities

for winning. ;ou must concentrate on this. +hen !ghting and the enemy's body

becomes as if rideable, you can win Euic#ly, so you ought not to forget to stab at

the face. ;ou must persue the value of this techniEue through training.

o "tab at the *eart

o stab at the heart means, when !ghting and there are obstructions above or to

the sides, and whenever it is dicult to cut, to thrust at the enemy. ;ou must stab

the enemy's breast without letting the point of your long sword waver, showing the

enemy the ridge of the blade sEuare-on, and with the spirit of de?ecting his long

sword. he spirit of this principle is often useful when we become tired or for some

reason our long sword will not cut. ;ou must understand the application of this

method.

o "cold ut-FL

"cold means that, when the enemy tries to counter-cut as you attac#, you

counter-cut again from below as if thrusting at him, trying to hold him down. +ith

very Euic# timing you cut, scolding the enemy. hrust up, utL, and cut FL his

timing is encountered time and time again in e%changes of blows. he way to scold

ut-F is to time the cut simultaneously with raising your long sword as if to thrust

the enemy. ;ou must learn this through repetitive practice.

he "mac#ing Barry

>y smac#ing parry is meant that when you clash swords with the enemy, you

meet his attac#ing cut on your long sword with a tee-dum, tee-dum rhythm,

smac#ing his sword and cutting him. he spirit of the smac#ing parry is not

parrying, or smac#ing strongly, but smac#ing the enemy's long sword in accordance

with his attac#ing cut, primarily intent on Euic#ly cutting him. $f you understand the


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timing of smac#ing, however hard your long swords clash together, your swordpoint

will not be #noc#ed bac# even a little. ;ou must research suciently to realise this.

here are Many 3nemies

here are many enemies applies when you are !ghting one against many. =raw

both sword and companion sword and assume a wide-stretched left and right

attitude. he spirit is to chase the enemies around from side to side, even though

they come from all four directions. (bserve their attac#ing order, and go to meet

!rst those who attac# !rst. "weep your eyes around broadly, carefully e%amining

the attac#ing order, and cut left and right alternately with your swords. +aiting is

bad. /lways Euic#ly re-assume your attitudes to both sides, cut the enemies down

as they advance, crushing them in the direction from which they attac#. +hatever

you do, you must drive the enemy together, as if tying a line of !shes, and when

they are seen to be piled up, cut them down strongly without giving them room to

move.

he /dvantage when coming to >lows

;ou can #now how to win through strategy with the long sword, but it cannot be

clearly e%plained in writing. ;ou must practise diligently in order to understand how

to win.

(ral tradition7he true +ay of strategy is revealed in the long sword.

(ne Aut

;ou can with with certainty with the spirit of one cut. $t is dicult to attain this if

you do not learn strategy well. $f you train well in this +ay, strategy will come from

your heart and you will be able to win at will. ;ou must train diligently.

=irect Aommunication

he spirit of =irect Aommunication is how the true +ay of the )io $chi school is

received and handed down.

(ral tradition7 each your body strategy.


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ecorded in the above boo# is an outline of $chi school sword !ghting.

o learn how to win with the long sword in strategy, !rst learn the !ve approaches

and the !ve attitudes, and absorb the +ay of the long sword naturally in your body.

;ou must understand spirit and timing, handle the long sword naturally, and move

body and legs in harmony with your spirit. +hether beating one man or two, you

will then #now values in strategy.

"tudy the contents of this boo#, ta#ing one item at a time, and through !ghting with

enemies you will gradually come to #now the principle of the +ay.

=eliberately, with a patient spirit, absorb the virtue of all this, from time to time

raising your hand in combat. Maintain this spirit whenever you cross swords with an

enemy.

"tep by step wal# the thousand-mile road.

"tudy strategy over the years and achieve the spirit of the warrior. oday is victory

over yourself of yesterdayK tomorrow is your victory over lesser men. )e%t, in order

to beat more s#ilful men, train according to this boo#, not allowing your heart to be

swayed along a side-trac#. 3ven if you #ill an enemy, if it is not based on what you

have learned it is not the true +ay.

$f you attain this +ay of victory, then you will be able to beat several tens of men.

+hat remains is sword-!ghting ability, which you can attain in battles and duels.

he "econd ;ear of "hoho, the twelfth day of the !fth month :145


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eruo MagonoCo for "*$)M3) MF"/"*$

)e%t section7 he 9ire >oo#

he 9ire >oo#

$n this the 9ire >oo# of the )io $chi school of strategy $ describe !ghting as !re.

$n the !rst place, people thin# narrowly about the bene!t of strategy. >y using only

their !ngertips, they only #now the bene!t of three of the !ve inches of the wrist.

hey let a contest be decided, as with the folding fan, merely be the span of their

forearms. hey specialise in the small matter of de%terity, learning such tri?es as

hand and leg movements with the bamboo practise sword.

$n my strategy, the training for #illing enemies is by way of many contests, !ghting

for survival, discovering the meaning of life and death, learning the +ay of the

sword, Cudging the strength of attac#s and understanding the +ay of the edge and

ridge of the sword.

;ou cannot pro!t from small techniEues particularly when full armor is worn. My+ay of strategy is the sure method to win when !ghting for your life one man

against !ve or ten. here is nothing wrong with the principle one man can beat ten,

so a thousand men can beat ten thousand. ;ou must research this. (f course you

cannot assemble a thousand or ten thousand men for everyday training. >ut you

can become a master of strategy by training alone with a sword, so that you can

understand the enemy's strategies, his strength and resources, and come to

appreciate how to apply strategy to beat ten thousand enemies.

/ny man who wants to master the essence of my strategy must research diligently,training morning and evening. hus can he polish his s#ill, become free from self,

and realise e%trordinary ability. *e will come to posess miraculous power.

his is the practical result of strategy.


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=epending on the Blace

3%amine your environment

"tand in the sunK that is, ta#e up an attitude with the sun behind you. $f thesituation does not allow this, yo umust try to #eep the sun on your right side. $n

buildings, you must stand with the entrance behind you or to your right. Ma#e sure

that your rear is unobstructed, and that there is free space on your left, your right

side being occupied with your sword attitude. /t night, if the enemy can be seen,

#eep the !re behind you and the entrance to your right, and otherwise ta#e up your

attitude as above. ;ou must loo# down on the enemy, and ta#e up your attitude on

slightly higher places. 9or e%ample, the amiDa in a house is thought of as a high

place.

+hen the !ght comes, always endeavour to chase the enemy around to your left

side. Ahase him towards aw#ward places, and try to #eep him with his bac# to

aw#ward places. +hen the enemy gets into an inconvenient position, do not let him

loo# around, but conscientiously chase him around and pin him down. $n houses,

chase the enemy into the thresholds, lintels, doors, verandas, pillars, and so on,

again not letting him see his situation.

/lways chase the enemy into bad footholds, obstacles at the side, and so on, using

the virtues of the place to establish predominant positions from which to !ght. ;oumust research and train diligently in this.

he hree Methods to 9orestall the 3nemy

he !rst is to forestall him by attac#ing. his is called en )o "en :to set him up


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here are no methods of ta#ing the lead other than these three. >ecause you can

win Euic#ly by ta#ing the lead, it is one of the most important things in strategy.

here are several things involved in ta#ing the lead. ;ou must ma#e the best of the

situation, see through the enemy's spirit so that you grasp his strategy and defeat

him. $t is impossible to write about this in detail.

he 9irst - en )o "en

+hen you decide to attac#, #eep calm and dash in Euic#ly, forestalling the enemy.

(r you can advance seemingly strongly but with a reserved spirit, forestalling him

with the reserve.

/lternately, advance with as strong a spirit as possible, and when you reach the

enemy move with your feet a little Euic#er than normal, unsettling him andoverwhelming him sharply.

(r, with your spirit calm, attac# with a feeling of constantly crushing the enemy,

from !rst to last. he spirit is to win in the depths of the enemy.

hese are all en )o "en.

he "econd - ai )o "en

+hen the enemy attac#s, remain undisturbed but feign wea#ness. /s the enemy

reaches you, suddenly move away indicating that you intend to Cump aside, then

dash in attac#ing strongly as soon as you see the enemy rela%. his is one way.

(r, as the enemy attac#s, attac# more strongly, ta#ing advantage of the resulting

disorder in his timing to win.

his is the ai )o "en principle.

he hird - ai ai )o "en


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+hen the enemy ma#es a Euic# attac#, you must attac# strongly and calmly, aim

for his wea# point as he draws near, and strongly defeat him.

(r, if the enemy attac#s calmly, you must observe his movement and, with your

body rather ?oating, Coin in with his movements as he draws near. Move Euic#ly and

cut him strongly.

his is ai ai )o "en

hese things cannot be clearly e%plained in words. ;ou must research what is

written here. $n these three ways of forestalling, you must Cudge the situation. his

does not mean that you always attac# !rstK but if the enemy attac#s !rst you can

lead him around. $n strategy, you have e6ectively won when you forestall the

enemy, so you must train well to attain this.

o *old =own a Billow

o *old =own a Billow means not allowing the enemy's head to rise.

$n contests of stategy it is bad to be led about by the enemy. ;ou must always be

able to lead the enemy about. (bviously the enemy will also be thin#ing of doing

this, but he cannot forestall you if you do not allow him to come out. $n strategy,

you must stop the enemy as he attempts to cutK you must push down his thrust,

and throw o6 his hold when he tries to grapple. his is the meaning of to hold down

a pillow. +hen you have grasped this principle, whatever the enemy tries to bring

about in the !ght you will see in advance and suppress it. he spirit is to chec# his

attac# at the syllable at..., when he Cumps chec# his advance at the syllable Cu...,

and chec# his cut at cu....

he important thing in strategy is to suppress the enemy's useful actions but allow

his useless actions. *owever, doing this alone is defensive. 9irst, you must act

according to the +ay, suppress the enemy's techniEues, foiling his plans, and

thence command him directly. +hen you can do this you will be a master of

strategy. ;ou must train well and research holding down a pillow.


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Arossing at a 9ord

Arossing at a ford means, for e%ample, crossing the sea at a strait, or crossing

over a hundred miles of broad sea at a crossing place. $ believe this crossing at a

ford occurs often in a man's lifetime. $t means setting sail even though your friends

stay in harbour, #nowing the route, #nowing the soundness of your ship and the

favour of the day. +hen all the conditions are met, and there is perhaps a

favourable wind, or a tailwind, then set sail. $f the wind changes within a few miles

of your destination, you must row across the remaining distance without sail.

$f you attain this spirit, it applies to everyday life. ;ou must always thin# of crossing

at a ford.

$n strategy also it is important to cross at a ford. =iscern the enemy's capability

and, #nowing your own strong points, cross the ford at the advantageous place, as

a good captain crosses a sea route. $f you succeed in crossing at the best place, you

may ta#e your ease. o cross at a ford means to attac# the enemy's wea# point, and

to put yourself in an advantageous position. his is how to win in large-scale

strategy. he spirit of crossing at a ford is necessary in both large- and small-scale

strategy.

;ou must research this well.

o now the imes

o #now the times means to #now the enemy's disposition in battle. $s is

?ourishing or waning >y observing the spirit of the enemy's men and getting the

best position, you can wor# out the enemy's disposition and move your men

accordingly. ;ou can win through this principle of strategy, !ghting from a position

of advantage.

+hen in a duel, you must forestall the enemy and attac# when you have !rst

recognised his school of strategy, perceived his Euality and his strong and wea#

points. /ttac# in an unsuspected manner, #nowing his metre and modulation and

the appropriate timing.


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nowing the times means, if your ability is high, seeing right into things. $f you are

thoroughly conversant with strategy, you will recognise the enemy's intentions and

thus have many opportunities to win. ;ou must suciently study this.

o read =own the "word

o tread down the sword is a principle often used in strategy. 9irst, in large-scale

strategy, when the enemy !rst discharges bows and guns and then attac#s, it is

dicult for us to attac# if we are busy loading powder into our guns or notching our

arrows. he spirit is to attac# Euic#ly while the enemy is still shooting with bows or

guns. he spirit is to win by treading down as we receive the enemy's attac#.

$n single combat, we cannot get a decisive victory by cutting, with a tee-dum tee-

dum feeling, in the wa#e of the enemy's attac#ing long sword. +e must defeat him

at the start of his attac#, in the spirit of treading him down with the feet, so that he

cannot rise again to the attac#.

reading does not simply mean treading with the feet. read with the body, tread

with the spirit, and, of course, tread and cut with the long sword. ;ou must achieve

the spirit of not allowing the enemy to attac# a second time. his is the spirit of

forestalling in every sense. (nce at the enemy, you should not aspire Cust to stri#ehim, but to cling after the attac#. ;ou must study this deeply.

o now Aollapse

3verything can collapse. *ouses, bodies, and enemies collapse when their rhythm

becomes deranged.

$n large-scale strategy, when the enemy starts to collapse you must persue himwithout letting the chance go. $f you fail to ta#e advantage of your enemies'

collapse, they may recover.

$n single combat, the enemy sometimes loses timing and collapses. $f you let this

opportunity pass, he may recover and not be so negligent thereafter. 9i% your eye

on the enemy's collapse, and chase him, attac#ing so that you do not let him


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o Move the "hade

o move the shade is used when you cannot see the enemy's spirit.

$n large-scale strategy, when you cannot see the enemy's position, indicate that youare about to attac# strongly, to discover his resources. $t is easy then to defeat hin

with a di6erent method once you see his resources.

$n single combat, if the enemy ta#es up a rear or side attitude of the long sword so

that you cannot see his intention, ma#e a feint attac#, and the enemy will show his

long sword, thin#ing he sees your spirit. >ene!ting from what you are shown, you

can win with certainty. $f you are negligent you will miss the timing. esearch this

well.

o *old =own a "hadow

*olding down a shadow is used when can see the enemy's attac#ing spirit.

$n large-scale strategy, when the enemy embar#s on an attac#, if you ma#e a show

of strongly suppressing his techniEue, he will change his mind. hen, altering your

spirit, defeat him by forestalling him with a Hoid spirit.

(r, in single combat, hold down the enemy's strong intention with a suitable timing,

and defeat him by forestalling him with this timing. ;ou must study this well.

o Bass (n

Many things are said to be passed on. "leepiness can be passed on, and yawning

canbe passed on. ime can be passed on also.

$n large-scale strategy, when the enemy is agitated and shows an inclination to

rush, do not mind in the least. Ma#e a show of complete calmness, and the enemy

will be ta#en by this and will become rela%ed. +hen you see that this spirit has been

passed on, you can bring about the enemy's defeat by attac#ing strongly with a

Hoid spirit.


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$n single combat, you can win by rela%ing your body and spirit and then, catching on

the moment the enemy rela%es, attac# strongly and Euic#ly, forestalling him.

+hat is #nown as getting someone drun# is similar to this. ;ou can also infect the

enemy with a bored, careless, or wea# spirit. ;ou must study this well.

o Aause Ioss of >alance

Many things can cause a loss of balance. (ne cause is danger, another is hardship,

and another is surprise. ;ou must research this.

$n large-scale strategy it is important to cause loss of balance. /ttac# without

warning where the enemy is not e%pecting it, and while his spirit is undecided follow

up your advantage and, having the lead, defeat him.

(r, in single combat, start by ma#ing a show of being slow, then suddenly attac#

strongly. +ithout allowing him space for breath to recover from the ?uctuation of

spirit, you must grasp the opportunity to win. Get the feel of this.

o 9righten

9right often occurs, caused by the une%pected.

$n large-scale strategy you can frighten the enemy not by what you present to their

eyes, but by shouting, ma#ing a small force seem large, or by threatening them

from the ?an# without warning. hese things all frighten. ;ou can win by ma#ing

best use of the enemy's frightened rhythm.

$n single combat, also, you must use the advantage of ta#ing the enemy unawares

by frightening him with your body, long sword, or voice, to defeat him. ;ou should

research this well.


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o "oa# $n

+hen you have come to grips and are striving together with the enemy, and you

realise that you cannot advance, you soa# in and become one with the enemy. ;ou

can win by applying a suitable techniEue while you are mutually entangled.

$n battles involving large numbers as well as in !ghts with small numbers, you can

often win decisively with the advantage of #nowing how to soa# into the enemy,

whereas, were you to draw apart, you would lise the chance to win. esearch this

well.

o $nCure the Aorners

$t is dicult to move strong things by pushing directly, so you should inCure thecorners.

$n large-scale strategy, it is bene!cial to stri#e at the corners of the enemy's force, $f

the corners are overthrown, the spirit of the whole body will be overthrown. o

defeat the enemy you must follow up the attac# when the corners have fallen.

$n single combat, it is easy to win once the enemy collapses. his happens when

you inCure the corners of his body, and this wea#en him. $t is important to #nowhow to do this, so you must research this deeply.

o hrow into Aonfusion

his means ma#ing the enemy lose resolve.

$n large-scale strategy we can use our troops to confuse the enemy on the !eld.

(bserving the enemy's spirit, we can ma#e him thin#, *ere here Ii#e that Ii#ethis "low 9ast Hictory is certain when the enemy is caught up in a rhythm that

confuses his spirit.


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$n single combat, we can confuse the enemy by attac#ing with varied techniEues

when the chance arises. 9eint a thrust or cut, or ma#e the enemy thing you are

going close to him, and when he is confused you can easily win.

his is the essence of !ghting, and you must research it deeply.

he hree "houts

he three shouts are divided thus7 before, during and after. "hout according to the

situation. he voice is a thing of life. +e shout against !res and so on, against the

wind and the waves. he voice shows energy.

$n large-scale strategy, at the start of battle we shout as loudly as possible. =uring

the !ght, the voice is low-pitched, shouting out as we attac#. /fter the contest, we

shout in the wa#e of our victory. hese are the three shouts.

$n single combat, we ma#e as if to cut and shout 3iL at the same time to disturb

the enemy, then in the wa#e of our shout we cut with the long sword. +e shout

after we have cut down the enemy - this is to announce victory. his is called sen

go no #oe :before and after voice


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$n single combat, too, use this spirit with the enemy's strong points.

+hat is meant by 'mingling' is the spirit of advancing and becoming engaged with

the enemy, and not withdrawing even one step. ;ou must understand this.

o Arush

his means to crush the enemy regarding him as being wea#.

$n large-scale strategy, when we see that the enemy has few men, or if he has

many men but his spirit is wea# and disordered, we #noc# the hat over his eyes,

crushing him utterly. $f we crush lightly, he may recover. ;ou must learn the spirit of

crushing as if with a hand-grip.

$n single combat, if the enemy is less s#ilful than ourself, if his rhythm is

disorganiDed, or if he has fallen into evasive or retreating attitudes, we must crush

him straightaway, with no concern for his presence and without allowing him space

for breath. $t is essential to crush him all at once. he primary thing is not to let him

recover his position even a little. ;ou must research this deeply.

he Mountain-"ea Ahange

he mountain-sea spirit means that it is bad to repeat the same thing several

times when !ghting the enemy. here may be no help but to do something twice,

but do not try it a third time. $f you once ma#e an attac# and fail, there is little

chance of success if you use the same approach again. $f you attempt a techniEue

which you have previously tried unsucessfully and fail yet again, then you must

change your attac#ing method.

$f the enemy thin#s of the mountains, attac# li#e the seaK and if he thin#s of the sea,

attac# li#e the mountains. ;ou must research this deeply.

o Benetrate the =epths


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he Aommander nows the roops

he commander #nows the troops applies everywhere in !ghts in my +ay of

strategy.

Fsing the wisdom of strategy, thin# of the enemy as your own troops. +hen you

thin# in this way you can move him at will and be able to chase him around. ;ou

become the general and the enemy becomes your troops. ;ou must master this.

o Iet Go the *ilt

here are various #inds of spirit involved in letting go the hilt.

here is the spirit of winning without a sword. here is also the spirit of holding the

long sword but not winning. he various methods cannot be e%pressed in writing.

;ou must train well.

he >ody of a oc#

+hen you have mastered the +ay of strategy you can suddenly ma#e your body

li#e a roc#, and ten thousand things cannot touch you. his is the body of a roc#.

;ou will not be moved. (ral tradition.

+hat is recorded above is what has been constantly on my mind about $chi school

sword fencing, written down as it came to me. his is the !rst time $ have written

about my techniEue, and the order of things is a bit confused. $t is dicult to

e%press it clearly.

his boo# is a spiritual guide for the man who wishes to learn the +ay.


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My heart has been inclined to the +ay of strategy from my youth onwards. $ have

devoted myself to training my hand, tempering my body, and attaining the many

spiritual attitudes of sword fencing. $f we watch men of other schools discussing

theory, and concentrating on techniEues with the hands, even though they seem

s#ilful to watch, they have not the slightest true spirit.

(f course, men who study in this way thin# they are training the body and spirit, but

it is an obstacle to the true +ay, and its bad in?uence remains for ever. hus the

true +ay of strategy is becoming decadent and dying out.

he true +ay of sword fencing is the craft of defeating the enemy in a !ght, and

nothing other than this. $f you attain and adhere to the wisdom of my strategy, you

need never doubt that you will win.

he second year of "hoho, the !fth month, the twelfth day :145esides, some men have not the strength of others.

$n my doctrine, $ disli#e preconceived, narrow spirit. ;ou must study this well.

he "trong Iong "word "pirit in (ther "chools

;ou should not spea# of strong and wea# long swords. $f you Cust wield the long

sword in a strong spirit your cutting will become coarse, and if you use the sword

coarsely you will have diculty in winning.

$f you are concerned with the strength of your sword, you will try to cut

unreasonably strongly, and will not be able to cut at all. $t is also bad to try to cutstrongly when testing the sword. +henever you cross swords with an enemy you

must not thin# of cutting him either strongly or wea#lyK Cust thin# of cutting and

#illing him. >e intent solely on #illing the enemy. =o not try to cut strongly and, of

course, do not thin# of cutting wea#ly. ;ou should only be concerned with #illing the

enemy.

$f you rely on strength, when you hit the enemy's sword you will inevitably hit too

hard. $f you do this, your own sword will be carried along as a re

Japan During Musashi

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